


Life's Too Short

by amberxwrites



Category: Hollyoaks
Genre: M/M, and he's been through so much trauma, but brendan didn't suit the plot, but now he's back, but ste left when they were little, didn't think i'd write a stug fic, doug suffers from amnesia, enjoy, i miss doug, i only have the first chapter written and none of it is planned, i'll add more characters once i know who's in it, it's definitely not based off a deleted frozen song, so i have no idea whats gonna happen next, ste and doug are step brothers, woop woop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 21:28:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30112314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amberxwrites/pseuds/amberxwrites
Summary: 🎶You have no idea what I've been through because of you,Life's too short to waste another minute,Life's too short to even have you in it🎶The fact that Doug once had a step brother was only a distant memory in his mind. Mainly because said step brother left when Doug was only five. But he's seventeen now and there's someone sleeping on his bedroom floor. Someone he can't seem to get off his mind. Someone who makes him think things he's never thought before. Someone who makes him question who he is and what he wants.That someone is no other than Steven Hay, his nineteen year old step brother.
Relationships: Amy Barnes/Ste Hay, Doug Carter/Ste Hay, Leanne Holiday/Dennis Savage, Texas Longford/Dodger Savage





	Life's Too Short

Doug's life was pretty uneventful. He was a bit naive, but sweet. The kind of boy who wanted to please, and the kind of boy who let people walk all over him just to see them smile. The kind of boy who kept mostly to himself, sharing his life with his two best friends and no one else. His dad had passed away almost a decade ago, an eight year old Doug having to hold his dear father's hand as he slipped away in a hospital bed. An eight year old Doug who started to resent his mother after she berated him for grieving for his "cheating scumbag of a dad".

After spending two years making sure his mother knew he despised her, and succeeding in pushing her away, he made two new friends and his life was once again complete, with a few cracks where his parents should be.

Doug had always wanted a big brother or sister to look out for him, but no such luck. He was an only child and while that was okay for a time, losing his dad just reminded him how alone he really was.

But whilst he didn't have a blood related sibling, he faintly remembered having a step brother from his mother's first marriage after she divorced his father when he was three. The pair split up two years later and Ste left with his father. Doug only remembered him from photographs, his amnesia meaning he struggled to remember much from his past, and even his present.

When he was twelve, he was involved in an accident and he ended up in hospital. It took the doctors three days to help him remember why he was in hospital, and his mother still hadn't managed to make important facts and memories stick in his mind. He only remembered key events in detail, like his dad dying and his cousin's ketamine overdose. Everything else was pretty much a blur.

Looking at pictures helped, which is the only reason he even knew Ste existed. His mum told him all about the fun they used to have, which only made Doug even sadder that he couldn't remember someone as special as Ste Hay.

Fortunately, Ste was sitting at his kitchen table when he woke up two weeks before his birthday - a date that Doug obviously didn't remember.

He approached the boy with caution, trying to work out why his face was so familiar. Ste simply sat in silence, maintaining eye contact with an expression that showed his mother had already filled the boy in on his memory loss.

"Mum?" He finally gave up, looking to his mother for help with a defeated sigh.

She smiled sadly, resting her hand on Ste's shoulder.

"Honey-"

I glared at her and she backtracked.

"Douglas, this is your old step brother Steven. Do you remember him?"

Doug shook his head.

"Nice to see you again." Ste spoke for the first time. He had a heavy Mancunian accent, which Doug thought suited him rather well. He looked like your average good-for-nothing scally, hair styled but messy and clad in maroon jogging bottoms and a matching hoodie. He had a cheeky smile and a scar above his right eye.

"Hi Steven."

"Call me Ste."

"Hi Ste."

He chuckled, turning back to my mother. "Thanks for letting me stay."

"No problem."

"He's staying here?" Doug echoed, knowing the answer was yes based on Ste's gratitude.

"His father kicked him out and he has nowhere else to go." She explained.

Doug frowned. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"Aren't you old enough to live alone?"

He shrugged. "Not got the money to live alone."

"Ignore Douglas. He's not exactly keen on change." She spat, glaring at her son for being _oh so rude_ to her guest.

"Well what's the point in changing things when I can't even remember what's normal?" Doug sneered, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"I'm going to Leanne's." He announced, sending his friend a text to say he'd be there soon.

"Need money for the bus?"

He shook his head. "I have a two pound coin in my pocket."

"A ticket costs £2.30, sweetie."

Doug closed his eyes. It was just a blip. He wouldn't forget again.

"I know that."

"I can give you a lift." Ste offered, flashing his car keys.

Doug rolled his eyes. "Can't afford a house but you can afford a car?"

"It was a gift."

"Douglas," His mother interrupted. "Please let Ste drive you to Leanne's."

"Fine, let's go."

He followed Ste to his car that was parked outside the house, a wrecked piece of junk. It smelt like weed inside and Doug felt like puking.

"So where does your friend live?"

Doug thought for a moment before dialling Leanne's number.

"I guess you forgot my address again?" Was the question she answered the phone with.

"Yeah." Doug muttered, Ste sending him a sympathetic smile.

He ignored it.

Leanne repeated her address for the millionth time and the boys drove the fifteen minute journey in silence.

Well, it was silent until Ste decided he would make conversation.

"So what's changed since the last time we saw each other, eh?" He grinned. "You're so grown up. It's weird you no longer being that chatterbox of a five year old-"

"Stop talking to me like we're old friends." Doug snapped.

Ste frowned. "But we are."

"No we're not. I don't remember you. Just because I've seen a couple of pictures of us together, doesn't mean you're a part of my life I'm interested in remembering."

Ste turned back towards the road and that's the last time they spoke until Doug climbed out of the car, slamming the door without so much as a muttered 'thank you for the ride'. Ste didn't seem to mind, seemingly as eager to ditch the boy as Doug was to get away from him.

He walked straight inside, Leanne's parents never having minded his presence in their home. They thought he was the perfect golden child. They didn't need to know how wrong they were.

"What's wrong?" Was the first thing Leanne said when Doug walked into her bedroom. He let out a deep breath, falling on the bed beside her and laying his head in her lap.

"My old step brother Ste is staying with us again."

"Isn't that a good thing? You loved him when you were kids."

"Exactly. When we were kids. I don't remember him anymore so he's practically a stranger."

"Oh sweetie." She soothed, running her fingers through his light brown hair.

"It scares me having a stranger around who knows almost everything about me. I feel like he's read my diary or something."

She snorted. "I can't imagine you having a diary, babe."

"I did. After I got out of hospital. I wrote down key things to help me remember them."

"And I'm so glad you remembered me and Tex." She smiled down at him, pecking him on the forehead.

Texas was his and Leanne's other best friend, and Doug had been in love with her for seven years. Of course he knew she didn't feel the same, but a boy could dream.

"Where is she anyway?"

"With Dodger."

"Who's D-"

"Her boyfriend. You met him last week."

Doug groaned, burying his nose deeper into her lap. He was pretty good with names, but not people he barely knew.

Which is why he found it strange that he hadn't yet forgotten Ste's name.

"I need a nap." He announced, letting out a yawn before sitting up, only to pull Leanne backwards on the bed with him. She smiled at him, cuddling into his side as they drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on wattpad @randys_sidechick


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